Bottle stopper



Aug. l0, 1948 J. A. MuRDocK BOTTLE STOPPER Filed NOV. ll, 1944 Q ,lido

ffl Il Patented ug. 10, 1948 'BOTTLE sToPPER James A.Murdock, Chicago, Ill.; Iris M. Murdock, executrix of said'James A. Murdock, deceased, assignor to Iris M. Murdock, individually Application November 11, 1944, Serial No. 562,931

- l This invention relates to a bottle stopper and has for'its object the provisi-on of a new type of bottler closure in which an expansible stopper is combined with a clasping device to mechanically lock the expansible member within the bottle mouth.

' A further object of the invention is to provide an expansible bottle stopper which is not dependent upon the expansible plug alone to resist theI pressure generated by the contents of the bottle but has a pair of spring clasps to lock the bottle stopper upon the external bead of a crown cap type bottle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure which can be operated with three fingers simultaneously to release the expansible stopper and the clasps by which the stopper is held in its sealing position upon the mouth of the bottle.`

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle closurev that may be repeatedly used without impairment of its sealing capacity.

The dispensing of carbonated beverages from bottles from which part of the contents is removed at one time and the remainder kept for later use has long presented a problem of sealing the remainder of the contents within the bottle without loss of the gas content of the liquid within the bottle. Various types of closures have been proposed as seals for the familiar crown cap type bottle in order to seal the bottle after the crown cap or seal has Vbeen removed. Most of the closures in use have been expansible rubber stoppers that engage the interior of the neck of the bottle and rely uponthe friction of the rubber against the neck interior to prevent the pressure of the gas from forcing the stopper out of the bottle. Because the bottle neck was usually wet and because the bottle necks vary in interior dimensions this type of stopper has frequently been blown from the bottle neck by the pressure of the gas in the bottle and has resulted in loss of the bottlel contents and occasionally injury to the user. Y

Other types of closures which have been dependent upon a spring pressed washer in contact with the upper edge of the bottle mouth have not 4been successful because of the variations in dimensions and contour of the bottle mouths.

It is'the object of this invention to present a closure which is not dependent upon the friction of the expansible stopper within the bottle but provides a readily manipulatable clasp by which the expansible stopper may be locked in its sealing position. It is also the purpose of this inven- 5 claims. (ci. 21a- 52) in the expansible stopper I6.

tion to provide a combination stopper with aA mechanical clasp and an expansible stopper which can be simultaneously operated in the' application of the closure to the bottle and its removal therefrom.

' These and other features of the invention will beA seen from the following detailed specification;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the bottle closure being applied to a-bottle, la fragment o the b-ottle neck being shown in section; y Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the bottle closure after application to a bottle and in locked sealing position, a fragment ofthe bottle neck being" shown in section; y Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the bottle closure applied to a bottle mouth takenon the line 5,-5 of Fig. 4. Referring tothe drawings the preferred lform of the bottle closure of thisinvention is shown as'an assembly of a plunger II), a cap member II, a clasp member I2, an expander I5, 'an expansible stopper I6, and a washer I8. The plunger III is made up of a head member 9 and a shaft 8. through the cap member II and the clasp member I2 and has the lower end of the plunger secured in the expander I5 which normally rests The expansible stopper I6 has an annular ange I'I which is retained 4between the washery I8 and the top of the cap member II when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1.

'A pair ofspring clasps I3 adapted to engage dametrically opposed portions of the external lbead or rim 25 of a bottle 24 are connected by a bridge 2. Each clasp I3 has an extension rebent upon itself which terminates in a. iinger piece I4 having a concavely curved underside surface. The cap I I is preferably formed with an embossed channel I9 impressed diametrically across the same to provide means for retaining the bridge 2li against movement peripherally of the cap II. This bridge 20 is held within the embossed channel I9 by means of the washer IB which is re'- tained within the cap by crimping the lower edge 2IA of the cap about the washer I8 around the periphery of the cap except where the cap is cut away at the ends of the embossedchannel to ENT :oFFlcwfa-Kfgf This plunger is reciprocablev provide for the passage of the clasps I3 between the cap member II and the washer I8. The washer I8 is also notched in two places 22 to permit the passage of the clasps I3.

The plunger, cap, clasp member and washer may be made of suitable metals and the clasp member must necessarily be made of a exible resilient metal so that it may perform as hereinafter described;

The expander I5 may be made of metal, wood, fibre or other composition which will give it sub.-V stantially uniform shape and permit it to 4hold the plunger 8 securely.

The expansible stopper I6 is preferably'ma'de of rubber so that it may readily- Vbeqilexed and.

expanded and will resume its original.shape.wivenf.H

pressure upon it is released.

The various members of the bottle closure areA assembled in the manner indicated by the sec- Method` of operation When. ltisdesired .to use the closure on a crown cap type bottleprovided with the usual externally` beaded mouth, the: closure is picked up with the finger pieces I4 -held .respectively .by the rst and second. fingers of one hand and the thumb pressed. v.against the cap .9 of the plunger I0. When the fingers are brought together the nger pieces Il are drawn together to spread the `clamp members I3, and the thumb forces the cap and plunger with the expander l5 .down into the eX- pansible. stopper which is thereby radially contracted andA deformed into a long slender. conguration.. With the..closure held in the position shown in Fig.. 3 it is lowered into the mouth of. thebottle 23 until the washer t8 is brought against the lip 26 of the. bottle mouth` and. the clasps I3 areV brought beneath the edge of. the external bead asshown in Fig. 4.

With the closure held in this position, relaxation of the pressure upon the fingers permits the clasps I3 .to come together beneath the .bottle bead4 25 mechanically to lock` the closure upon the` bottle mouth. Simultaneously the rubber stopper I6 shortens and expands bodily to engage ali-extended area of the interior of .the bottle neck 24.. Thereupon the expanded stopper .seals the'lcontents within the bottle and any pressure against .the closure is transmitted through the stopperV 16. expander I5, and the bridge 20 to force. thev .clasps I3- together more tightly as the pressure increases.

`:To.disengage the closure from thebottle mouth the rst and .second ngers are placed' under the linger pieces I4 and the thumb again placed upon the plunger A.cap 9.. As the two fingers are brought toward the thumb, the ringer pieces approach each other, theKV clasps are spread and the eX- pansible stopper is lengthened and radially contracted until the bottlestopper can be freely lifted Ifrom the bottle mouth.

Because of the resilient character of the bridge 2U. and 'the finger pieces il and clasps I3, the clasp member I2 tends normally to grip the bottle bead tightlyand this gripping action. is increased with` any pressure upon the lower surface of 'the expansible stopper and the bridge L20 by Which'the two clasps are connected.

The expansible stopper, because o its character' tendsto accommodate itself to any slight variations in the dimensions of the bottle neck andthe mechanical locking means insures that 4 the wet surface of the interior of the bottle neck will not permit the expansible stopper to be forced therefrom by gas pressure within the bottle.

Having thus shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction amia-rrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed ln the appended claims, in which it is intended to claim .all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as'permissible, in view of the prior art.

What' is claimed is:

l. .A closure for application to a bottle having .anexternal bead about its mouth comprising a pair of spring clasps for engaging diametrically opposed' portions of said external bead, an expansibic stopper, a plunger mounted for movement toward and away from a position to contract ,saidv expansible stopper for inserting the latter within the mouth of said bottle, each of: said clasps having anv extension terminating in a ting-erpiece conjointly presenting surfaces against whichgthe ingers of a hand may be applied to spread said clasps while the thumb ofA the same hand. isapplied against the plunger to cause the latter to movetoward .a position tocontrac-.t said expansible stopper.

2. A closure as claimed in claim 1 in which said `spring clasps are connected by a `bridge portionand said expansible stopper dis-secured to .said bridge portion.

3. A closure as claimed. in claim 1 in which said spring clasps are connected by a. bridge. portionl and a cap to which said bridge portion isconnected and a. washer positioned :opposite to. the inner surface of said cap cooperate to secure the expansible stopper to the bridge connecting the spring clasps.

is A 'closurev as claimed in. claim 1 in which said spring clasps are .connected by a bridge ,portion and inwhich saideitpansible stopper is ,provided with an operating shaft which passes through a caplin which said bridge` portion con-A necting said spring .clasps is fastened against movement peripherally of the cap.

5. A closure as claimed in claim 1r in whichsaid spr-ing clasps are connected by a bridge portion andY means. cooperating with said expansible stopper to secure the latter to said .spring clasps including .a Acap provided. with a channelinwhieh the bridge `portion connecting the spring clasps is retainedagainst movement peripherally of the cap.

' JAMES .A. MURDOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the le of this patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 517,958 Moller Apr. 10, 1894` `1,178,650 Langen Apr. 1.1, 19.16 1,185,542 Roberts May 30, 191- 1,237,761 Dwyer Aug. 21, 1917 1,324,256 Langan Dec. 9, 1919 1,324,354 Kaiser Dec. 9, 1919. 1,448,051 A Borne et al. Mar. 13, 1923 1,654,389 Straub Dec. 27. 1927 1,946,981 Lower Feb., 13, 1934 l FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date "420;'598 France Feb. 2', 1911 

